* SMC Networks introduces two Gigabit Ethernet switches for desktops
SMC Networks this month plans to ship two small Gigabit Ethernet switches that it is positioning as desktop connections for small offices.
The new switches represent part of a trend to push copper-based Gigabit Ethernet prices to ridiculous lows. How low? A five-port 10/100/1000M bit/sec Ethernet switch will be priced at $135, and an eight-port version will be $195.
It wasn’t that long ago that those would be per-port prices – but they’re not. That’s what you pay for the whole switch, making the per-port price $27 for the five-port switch and even less for the eight-port.
SMC is also releasing a 32-bit PCI Gigabit Ethernet card to go with them, and that’s just $30.
I said that SMC is aiming the switches at small offices, but actually the company is taking a shotgun approach, pointing out that enterprise companies might be interested as well. The EZ Switch products support jumbo frames, something you wouldn’t expect in a low-end switch.
The card supports jumbo frames, too – as well as flow control, TCP Checksum, and remote management features like Wake-on-LAN, SNMP and RMON. SMC says the features make it easier to manage desktops with the card in them.
With each of these announcements, I usually note that you probably don’t need Gigabit Ethernet to the desktop. But the silicon is there, and at these prices, you’re going to get it anyway.
